Parashat Emor starts with (literal translation) “and
spoke - va’yomer - YHVH to Moshe, ‘speak – emor - to the priests, the sons of
A’haron’” (21:1). The topics, with which Moshe was commanded to address the
cohanim/priests, had to do with their sanctity. The first of these deals with
defiling themselves with the dead (v.1), although in Hebrew the word “dead” is
missing, and can only be inferred from the context. Perhaps this is a linguistic
device intended to illustrate the defilement of death, and thus is omitted
(even) from the text. The titles of the previous two Parashot, together with
this one, form the sentence: “after the death of the holy ones, say/speak…,” the
“speaking” having to do, once again, with the topic of death. The opening of our Parasha seems,
therefore, to pick off from the beginning of Parashat Acharey Mot (Lev. 16:1-2),
which deals with the aftermath of the death of A’haron’s sons, elaborating on
the necessary conduct required for the priests.
Parashat Emor also contains
the well-known chapter 23, which lists and specifies YHVH's appointed times.
Chapters 21 and 22, on one end of the Parasha, deal respectively, as we have
just seen, with the priests' conduct of holiness, the sanctity of the offerings
and the handling thereof. It is interesting to note the order; the sanctity of the priests ("they shall be
holy to their Elohim," 21:6) is followed by the sanctity of the offerings (called
"holy things," 22:3), followed by the sanctity of the appointed times (chapter 23). The
other end of the Parasha is made up of chapter 24, whose themes are the perpetual light ("ner ha'tamid" vs. 1-4), and the twelve loaves
that were to be set on the gold table (vs. 5-9). A brief account relating an
episode during which YHVH's name was profaned,* as well as the
resulting and immediate consequences, together with a series of instructions for
penalizing measures applicable in similar cases and a variety of offenses, seal
off Parashat Emor.
Chapter 23 is situated in
the center of the Parasha, with verses 1 and 2 stating the following: “YHVH
spoke again to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them,
YHVH's appointed times ["mo'adim"] which you shall proclaim as holy convocations
[“mik'ra'ey kodesh”] - My appointed times are these…'" Here we encounter the
important terms, “mo’adim” and “mikra'ey kodesh” (singular: “mo'ed” and “mikra
kodesh”). Mo’ed stems from the
root y.a'a.d (yod, ayin, dalet), which is "appoint, design or designate." Thus, we read in Amos 3:3
(literal translation): "Do two men walk together unless it has been designated,
or appointed for them [to do so]?" The conjugation of the verb implies that
someone else was responsible for their meeting.
“Mo'ed,” as we see in the
text before us, is connected to a specific called-out and destined assembly, many times termed
“e'dah” (originating in the same
root), which gathers or convenes together. In 24:14 for example, the assembly,
or “edah,” is told to stone an offender. In T’hilim (Psalms) 82:1, “Elohim takes
His stand in His edah.” The “appointed times,” therefore, relate to an
appointed group of people, but there is more…
“Tent of [appointed]
meeting” is “Ohel Mo'ed” (mentioned here in 24:3). A similar, though not
identical term is found in T’hilim (Psalms) 74:4 and 8,
where we read, “Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting
place… They have burned
Your sanctuary." The renderings of “your meeting place” and "sanctuary" here are: “mo’ade’cha” “mo'adey El,” literally "your appointed times” and “appointed times of El,” making evident that Place and
Time in the Hebrew mind are not always demarcated by a clear boundary. Our text
reveals the “three-strand cord” of place, time and people, as it is held
together by the sovereignty of the One who has appointed and chosen them, and
who is responsible for bringing about their interactions one with the other.
Finally, y.a-a.d is also to “establish a
destiny,” and so we read in Romans 8:29-30: “Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…
Moreover whom He predestined,
these He also called…” (italics added). In the Hebrew translation of the Greek
text, “predestined” is rooted in “ya’ad.” Who are the ones whom He foreknew,
predestined and called? As we have seen above (and will see later), the calling
and appointing has been and are Yisrael’s, thus establishing again (in context
with the above quote), that y.a-a.d refers not only to people, time and place,
but also to an eternal destiny (past, present and
future).
The “holy convocations,” as
mentioned, are “mikra'ey kodesh.”
The root k.r.a (kof, resh, alef) makes up the verb “to call” even though the "convocation" - the
assembling - is made up of people. The calling, therefore, is what designates
the “mikra kodesh.” “Mikra,” like the term we examined above, is also related to
place, as is illustrated by Yisha’yahu (Isaiah) 4:5: "Then YHVH will create over
the whole area of Mount Zion
The first "appointed day"
– the “Shabbat” - is also the prototype upon which all the others are
established (ref. 23:3). It speaks of rest, trust, and faith directed toward the
Heavenly Father (a topic we dealt with at length in Parashat Yitro – Exodus
18-20).
The mo’ed, which starts the
annual cycle, is to be celebrated on the first month of the biblical calendar
(the month of Aviv). The 14th day of that month is designated as YHVH's Pesach (Passover), whereas the next seven
days are called the Feast of Matzot (Unleavened Bread). The root p.s.ch (pey,
samech, chet), which we examined in Parashat Bo (Exodus 10-13:16, in 12:11),
means to “pass or skip over.” The lamb’s blood was smeared on the
Hebrews’ doorposts, thus covering and protecting the sons of Yisrael from YHVH's
arm, which dealt severely with the Egyptians. It was by virtue of that blood
that YHVH “passed” or “skipped over” the dwellings of the Israelites. The wider
scope of the principle set in motion here is the atoning blood of the Lamb of
Elohim, that covers and protects the redeemed from sin’s death sentence.
Next is the Feast of
Matzot, or Chag HaMaztot (plural of “matza,” which is a thin, wafer-like cracker
baked without yeast). “Chag” is
feast, whose root,
ch.g.g (chet ,
gimmel, gimmel), means “to circle”
(e.g. Ps. 107:27), thus pointing to the cyclical
nature and annual reoccurrence of YHVH’s feasts and appointed times. As we have
already seen in Parashat Bo, the root m.tz.h (mem, tzadi, hey) means “to
drain or squeeze out” to the very last drop of water. Yeast
can only be activated in an accommodating environment (that is, in water).
Since yeast, or leaven, is likened to the sin which leavens or puffs up the
whole lump (Gal. 5:9), water may be compared to the environment which enhances
it. The "old leaven" (1 Cor. 5:8) being sin, in the form of the deeds of
darkness (Rom. 13:12), wickedness (1st Cor. 5:13) and more, is removed as the
redeemed are constituted "holy matzot; for Messiah, our Pesach [lamb]… has been
sacrificed" (1st Cor. 5:7). Notice that aside from “matza,” unleavened bread is
also called “lechem oni,” translated “bread of affliction” (Deut. 16:3). Yeshua,
who is the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35), was born in the House of Bread
(Beit-Lehem) and was in Beit Onya (Bethany
"Then YHVH spoke to Moses
saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel
The land and its
fruitfulness, or lack thereof, was to reflect Yisrael's relationship with YHVH,
as it is "a Land for which YHVH your Elohim cares; the eyes of YHVH your Elohim
are always on it, from the beginning even to the end of the year" (Deut. 11:12).
The Cycle of the Feasts "from the beginning even to the end of the year" is
partly designed for this purpose. Thus, if the rains come in their due season,
watering the ground which responds to the seed (ref. Hos. 2:21, 22), it can
indicate that the Nation of Yisrael is walking with their Elohim, "who keeps for
us the appointed weeks for the harvest" (Jer. 5:24). In that case, all is well
and the Counting of the Omer can begin. Conversely, the consequence of
disobedience and sin is drought (Lev. 26:18-20, 26, for example), which means
that there is no barley, no sheaves and nothing to count. That, in turn, will
affect the next mo'ed, which is Shavu'ot. The mo'adim, the Land and the
relationship with the Almighty are all linked together, making the life of the
Hebrew person inseparable from his Elohim, his Torah, his land and community.
The omer, therefore, affects the celebration of Shavu’ot. It also signifies
total dependency on YHVH, and speaks of His control over the natural and
spiritual causes.
On Shavu'ot the focus is on
"a new grain offering to YHVH" (23:16), also termed "first fruits of the wheat
harvest” (Ex. 34:22) called bikkurim, deriving from the word “b'chor” –
“firstborn.” Note that this word
does not appear in connection with the waving of the first barley sheaves (v.
10), where, as we noticed above, “resheet” (that is, “beginning,” "first" stemming from “rosh” – “head”) is
used instead. Yisrael is declared "holy to YHVH, the first - "resheet" - of His
harvest" (Jer. 2:3). Hence, both of these special times (the Counting of the
Omer and Shavu'ot) are a reminder to Yisrael that as YHVH's firstborn (Ex.
4:22), they too belong to Him. Messiah is called the “resheeta” (1cor. 15:20, 23
Aramaic New Testament), the “beginning,” just as is “the first of the Omer,”
which is waved for our “acceptance.” The Feast of First Fruit
(Bikkurim/Shavu’ot, see Ex. 34:22; Numb. 28:26) has also been fulfilled by
Messiah, when He sent the Spirit of Holiness so that we may be the “bikkurim” – the “first
fruit” who were “brought forth by the word of truth” (James 1:18).
Interestingly, on Shavu’ot two loaves baked with leaven are to be waved
(23:17,20), making it obvious that these signify YHVH’s two peoples who, unlike
His Son, are not yet totally without sin.
Intertwined in this mo'adim
‘inventory’ is an important insertion, which lends another dimension to the
feasts and to the life of the sons and daughters of Yisrael. It reads as
follows: “When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap
to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you
are to leave them for the needy and the
alien” (23:22 italics added). The reason given for this injunction,
albeit a very short one summarizes it all: "For I am YHVH your Elohim." We found
a similar injunction in last week’s portion (Kdoshim), in 19:9-10, which was
preceded by the declaration: "You shall be holy for I YHVH your Elohim am Holy"
(19:2). YHVH’s heart, His character and deeds express His holiness. He desires
to bestow upon His people this kind of holiness, while they, in turn, are to
live accordingly.
From the first month
through the third - we now move to the seventh, which is replete with mo'adim,
starting with the first day. (Rosh Chodesh - "head of the month," the usual term
for the first day of the month, is not used here.) The "first day" of the
seventh month is to be a “shabbaton,” a Shabbat-like day, and also a “mikra
kodesh” - a "holy convocation" (23:24). It is to be a “zich'ron tru'ah,” that is, a day dedicated to
remembering and to making a
“sound or a blast.” “T'ruah” is a generic noun; it is not used exclusively for this day of
remembrance, thereby shrouding this mo’ed with some obscurity. The raising of
human voices, or the blowing of a shofar (ram’s horn), or a silver trumpet can
all produce the “t’ruah” sound. The combination of 'jarring' the communal memory
and the emphasis on sound could possibly be in preparation for the tenth day of
the month, the most solemn of all the feast days, “Yom HaKippurim,” literally "Day of the Atonements" (v. 27). The sound of the
alarm is intended, therefore, to help the People of Yisrael recall the greatness
of their Elohim, His deeds and commandments, as well as their own responses and
shortcomings. In other words, it is a call to self-examination leading to
repentance. Since “tru'a” signifies a number of different calls and alarms (e.g.
Num. 10:5, 6,9,10), “…blessed is the people who knows [understands, discerns]
the “tru'a” [the specific sound and its intent]; O YHVH they walk in the light
of your countenance!" (Ps. 89:15).
The Day of Atonement is a
mikra kodesh, "on exactly the tenth day" (23:27) to commence on the previous
evening (according to verse 32); and "it is to be a Shabbat Shabbaton" - a
Shabbat of Shabbats. What else singles out this day? In addition to a total
cessation of labor, it is also to be a time of "affliction of the soul." To
“afflict" here is “(ve)ee'ni'tem,” the root being a.n.h (ayin,
noon, hey), shared by the adjectives “humility” or “self-denial.” Yisha’yahu
(Isaiah) 58 clarifies for us the kind of affliction YHVH is referring to: "Is it
a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to afflict/humble [ah'not] himself? Is it for bowing
one's head like a reed and for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will
you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to YHVH? Is this not the fast,
which I choose: to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the
yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide
your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor [ah’ni, the same root] into the
house…?" (vs. 5-7 emphases added). Thus, he who truly afflicts himself is not
necessarily engaged only in ceremonial acts, but, rather, empathizes with the
afflicted and comes to their aid. Lastly, a quick glance back to Pesach will
remind us of the "bread of affliction" - lechem oni - literally "bread of
affliction or humility," which is another name for the “matza,” as we already
noted above. Lechem Oni, therefore, is a fitting title for He who is the "Bread
of Life," the Pesach's Matza, and who is also described in Z’char’yah
(Zechariah) 9:9 as "humble - ah'ni - and mounted on a
donkey."
The other aspect of the Day
of Atonement, the “kippurim” or “kapara” of the root k.f.r (kaf, fey, resh),
with its primal meaning "to cover," we have examined a number of times
(particularly in Parashat Noach – in Gen. 6:14). The ultimate sin-covering and
subsequent forgiveness was epitomized in the life and atoning death of Yeshua,
who became the final sacrifice and ransom for all (ref. 1
Tim.2:6).
We are still in the seventh
month. On the 15th day, the Feast of Succot - Booths or Tabernacles - is to be
celebrated for eight days. The first day is to be a holy convocation, on which
no work is to be preformed. This feast is to be kept "when you have gathered in
the crops of the land" (23:39), and is therefore another one of those special
times, during which the Israelites are reminded of the connection that the Land
and its produce bear to their relationship with Elohim. They are also enjoined
to dwell in “succot” (“booths”) “…for seven days…so that your generations may
know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from
the land of Egypt" (vs. 42, 43). This is the only mo'ed after which there is an
eighth day. Aside from being a mikra kodesh, it is also described as an
“atzeret,” translated "solemn assembly" (v. 36). The root a.tz.r (ayin,
tzadi, resh) means, "restrain,
hold back, refrain," as well as "to rule, possess and
to check." "Solemn," in reference to the "assembly" is no doubt a development
of "restraint," denoting the importance of the day.
“Succa” (singular for “succot”) stems from
the root s.ch.ch. (sah'mech, kaf, kaf), meaning to “cover, protect or a (temporary) shelter.” Its primal root is to “weave together" (for example, "You have woven me
- tesukeni - in my mother's womb," Ps. 139:13). "Succa" is also a "thicket." Besides being translated as a
literal shelter for men and animals, this word is used figuratively; especially
known is the “fallen succa - dynasty - of David," which YHVH promises to restore
(Amos 9:11, Acts 15:16). The "mercy seat" - kaporet - in the Holy of Holies was
covered by the wings of the Cherubim, which are described as “covering the mercy
seat with their wings” (Ex. 25:20). The term "covering" in this instance
utilizes “soche'chim,” which shares the same root as “succa.”
While Succot brings
together several aspects and reasons for the mo'adim, it also points to future
events. As we noted previously, Succot is the only feast that is followed by an
eighth day (which seems to stand on its own). A full (and prophetically
complete) unit of days is always comprised of seven days. The eighth day,
therefore, signifies a new beginning. The restoration of David's “dynasty,” or
“house,” when compared to a succa clearly indicates that the Feast of Succot is
yet to have an even greater fulfillment. On the day that, “the Branch of YHVH
will be beautiful and glorious… there will be a succa to give shade from the
heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain," is an
exciting future promise found in Yisha’yahu (Isaiah) 4:2, 6.
Shabbat, by commemorating
the Creator’s work and His redemption of the Hebrews from bondage and their
everlasting covenant, lays the foundation for the mo'adim; whereas the mo'adim
illustrate the various phases of the life and path of faith. At the same time
Shabbat, being the epitome of rest and cessation of all self-effort, is also a
foreshadowing of the coming Kingdom. Thus it represents, as well as stands for
the destination of the Believer's path, and hence is twofold; a foundation, buy
also a tangible image of the goal. In this way the Shabbat may be compared to
Messiah Yeshua, in that He too is the foundation, the Root, as well as the
Branch - both a Beginning and an ultimate Destination (ref. Revelation
22:16).
*
The word used there for “profaned” is “yikov”(root k.v.v, kof,
vet, vet) and means “to bore a hole.” Thus, as we saw last week, when examining
the verb ch.l.l, which also means to “profane or desecrate,” such an act
constitutes ‘hollowing out’ or ‘making empty’ (implying meaninglessness) that
which is of greatest import, seriousness, and sacredness.
Some of the word definitions were gleaned from:
The New Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon, ed.
Francis Brown, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody , Mass.
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, ed. R. Laird
Harris, Moody Press, Chicago, 1980.
Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew, ed.
Matityahu Clark, Feldheim Publishers, Jerusalem
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